


Don't Open Them

by canistealyourcat



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Cuties, Fluff, M/M, midorima can totally be sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-06
Updated: 2014-06-06
Packaged: 2018-02-03 14:55:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1748639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/canistealyourcat/pseuds/canistealyourcat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Takao overworked his eyes...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't Open Them

_Ahh, I used my eyes too much_.

Takao buried his face in his hands. Fire was burning behind his eyes. Every time he shifted his pupils, a gritty, teeth-clenching pain shot through his skull. His skin was becoming clammy from sitting in the locker room for over half an hour, a towel draped over his head. He shivered. Knowing that that the thermostat was broken, he probably shouldn't have stayed in one place for so long in a freezing cold room. But it hurt so damn  _much_ when he looked anywhere. It felt like something was freaking  _ripping_ his eyes out of their sockets. 

In preparation for the Winter Cup, their coach had unleashed his full fury on the Shutoku team. Midorima was doing even more shooting and all-around skills, which meant Takao had to work even harder to establish coordination, being the team's point guard. Midorima's habit of staying to shoot long after hellish practices made Takao even more determined not to let their ace down. Thus, he forgot about how vulnerable his eyes could be.

He moved his legs, about to stand up, when the towel was lifted off his head. A rush of cold air hit his cheeks, causing him to blink and recoil. He sat with a thump back on the bench. 

"Takao." 

The stern voice was all too familiar to Takao. But the pain behind his eyes so intense he couldn't reply. He couldn't help the tears that squeezed out of his eyelids. No matter how tight he shut them, Takao's eyes wouldn't stop aching.

There was a moment of silence. Then he heard shuffling, the opening of a zipper, then a quiet whoosh as the other man sat down beside him on the bench. He felt a hand, gentle and a little bit unsure, touch the top of his head. Another hand pried his hands away from his eyes, still shut.

"Shin-chan, what-"

"Be quiet. Please." The voice was right next to his ear. Takao couldn't help but shiver again; this time not because of the cold. His head was tilted back a bit until he was facing the ceiling. Midorima's hands shifted, one on Takao's forehead, and the other under his chin. Takao didn't dare open his eyes, for fear that the lighting on the ceiling would jump start the pain.

"Open your eyes."

"What, no, they'll hurt. A lot." Takao replied, his voice squeezed out of his throat.

"I've got my hand shading your face so you won't see it."

Confused, he gingerly opened his eyelids. Before he could see properly, something wet landed in his right eye and he blinked in surprise. Eye drops.  _His_ eye drops. Midorima knew his eyes hurt. And he knew where to look in his bag.

"Shin-chan-"

"Left eye, now."

Takao obediently opened his eyes again, this time feeling the cool liquid in his left eye. Then he shut them, letting the eye drops soothe the pain.

"You idiot. Don't overuse your eyes." Takao could hear the scowl in Midorima's voice. Even with his eyes shut, he could imagine every detail in Midorima's expression. Equal parts worry and sternness in his eyes, while adjusting his glasses with his taped left hand.

"I have to catch up to you. You're the ace. The rest of the team can't let you down." Takao replied. He returned his head to face the front. His hands sat idly in his lap, and he couldn't ignore the cold, now sending goosebumps all over his arms and legs.

"Well, while you're doing it, don't overwork yourself to the point where you can't work anymore." Midorima's voice was farther away this time. The zipper opened again. Then something landed in Takao's lap, making him start. "First, don't catch a cold. You know the thermostat is broken in here."

It was his jacket. Takao wrapped it around his shoulders, and managed to zip it up after a couple tries. His eyes were beginning to feel better. The pain had simmered down to a dull ache. 

"Thank you, Shin-chan." He said. He heard shuffling, then he sensed Midorima back beside him. He seemed to radiate heat. It warmed the skin on Takao's arm.

"Were you waiting for me?" He said quietly. There's a muffled ripping sound as Midorima started to peel fresh tape for his fingers. 

Takao's heart started beating harder. That's right. He  _was_ waiting for him. He always did. The pain just got so bad today that he had to sit down for a while. Usually, after about twenty minutes of silently watching Midorima shoot swish after swish, he would leave him alone. He never wanted him to find out about it. What would Midorima think? Would he think Takao was weird? 

After a minute of pondering an answer, Takao finally answered, "Yes."

"Why didn't you just come and practice with me?" Midorima said. Then he added, "I wouldn't make you use your eyes so much."

Takao shrugged. "I don't know."

"Do you enjoy watching me?" 

Takao felt the heat in his cheeks. He knew how red his face must've been. He didn't answer.

"The horoscope said to take care of Scorpios today." Midorima said, still quiet. There was something in his voice that Takao couldn't quite place.

"Oh? Is that why you're being so nice?" Takao said, trying to sound lighthearted. He couldn't stop thinking about how close Midorima was. He was, like, closer than usual. So close that Takao could feel his body heat. Why was he sitting this close? Why didn't Takao hate it? Why couldn't his heart stop beating in his goddamn chest like some sort of drum?

"Partly."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

There was a pause. Then, "The horoscope also said that I'd have great luck in love."

Takao stilled. "Is there someone you love, Shin-chan?"

"Yes."

He gulped, not daring to ask the next question. He barely breathed. "Who?"

"You."

Something inflated inside of Takao. It inflated so dramatically he felt his rib cage physically cave  _out_. It felt like the darkness he was seeing right now wasn't darkness at all. It was just a firework after firework of bursting, cascading stars.

"Shin-chan, you're not joking?"

"Do I ever make jokes?"

He had trouble processing what was going on. He wanted to open his eyes, to see what was happening on Midorima's face. He wanted to see the room so he could make sure he wasn't dreaming. He wanted to see Midorima's hair, his hands, his eyes. He wanted to see the man he had fallen in love with.

When he didn't give an answer, he felt Midorima's hand tilt his chin to the right. Something warm and soft touched Takao's lips. It tasted like salt, like sweat, and he couldn't stop every fiber, every nerve, every inch in his body from straining towards the taller man. His mouth parted for him, and every little bit of Takao was blazing hot, overheating like a kettle. He wrapped one hand around Midorima's neck, and took off his glasses with the other; something that Takao did every day to annoy him, but none of those times were like right now. None of those times could  _ever_ compare to right now.

The kiss left a lingering trail of cold air on his mouth when Midorima pulled away. He could hear him breathing a little heavily, and Takao so desperately wanted to see his face.

Before he could open his eyes, a hand rested gently on his face. 

"Idiot. Don't open them so soon."

"The bottle said only two to three minutes."

"I don't care. Don't open them." Midorima sounded flushed, out of breath. Takao smiled. The room wasn't so cold anymore. At least, he wasn't shivering. 

"Okay. I won't."

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I was writing another Kagehina fic for my second prompt (college life AU) but I just couldn't do it so I had to write some Midotaka to cool off...just a small fluffy piece. Still new at this so feel free to leave feedback!


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